A top aide to former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman claimed in federal court Wednesday that the congressman directly instructed him to write hefty checks from a charitable donor to himself, another aide and Stockman's own campaign funds.

He is the second former Stockman aide to plead guilty to federal charges. Both admit they aided the former congressman in an alleged scheme to steal more than $1.2 million in charitable donations to finance Stockman's campaigns, as well as pay their own bills.